Commercially available herbicide compositions include a very large variety of active herbicide compounds. Such herbicide compositions can be prepared from different types of precursor compositions, and can be commercially available and used in a variety of different types of compositions, including, for example, compositions referred to as wettable powders, water dispersible granules, granules, aqueous solutions, water soluble powders, emulsifiable concentrates, oil-based flowables, concentrated emulsions, suspo-emulsions, emulsions, suspensions, suspension concentrates, mixtures, dispersions, and microemulsions, as well as others. Any of these different types of compositions may have different advantages or disadvantages relating to factors such as the mode of application and the type of active ingredient included in the herbicide composition.
Examples of just a few available active herbicide compounds include those of the general class known as phenoxy herbicides, e.g., 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (known as 2,4-D), MCPA acid, MCPP acid; those of the general class known as pyridine herbicides, (e.g., triclopyr, fluoroxypyr); those of the general class of benzoic acid herbicides, (e.g., dicamba acid); those of the general class of aryloxy phenoxy propionic acid herbicides, (e.g., fluzafop acid and quizolofop acid); water-insoluble diphenyl ether type herbicides (e.g., oxyfluorfen or acifluorfen); glyphosate compounds (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine), e.g., in the acid form, referred to as glyphosate acid, or in a salt form such as the IPA salt form; imidizole herbicide compounds (e.g., imazapyr or imazaquin); as well as others.
Active herbicide ingredients such as these and others can be prepared from and used in the form of solid and liquid compositions including, as mentioned above, different forms of emulsions, suspensions, suspension concentrates, mixtures, dispersions, microemulsions, etc., and derivatives thereof such as diluted solutions or solutions including other added ingredients such as additional herbicides.
Specifically with regard to herbicide compounds containing N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, this compound is understood to be available in a variety of chemically different forms including glyphosate acid and glyphosate salts. These glyphosate compounds are described as being useful in herbicide compositions in their salt form, or as glyphosate acid, in combination with specific surfactants as a water-soluble free-flowing solid formulation. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,118,338, 5,668,085, and 5,994,271. The salts of glyphosate, e.g., ammonium, sodium, isopropylammonium, and trimesium, are considered to be very soluble in water, while the acid form is not.
New forms of effective herbicide compositions are always desirable, especially those that can show advantages in processing, application, environmental profile (e.g., volatility), or efficacy.